NEWS I REVIEW
Spain suspends feed in tariffs to battle debt
AS PART of a broader programme of emergency financial measure to tackle a massive national debt, the Spanish government has decided to suspend all FiT activity for the foreseeable future. Industry Minister Jose Manuel Soria was quoted suggesting the move was to help rein in the budget deficit and reduce energy borrowings backed by the state that reached 24 billion euros at the end of 2011 and said that what is an energy problem today will be a financial concern tomorrow if action is not taken. In general the local industry agrees with the need for cuts but not everyone is content with such a drastic move.
Given the economic crisis and the situation of the electricity system, which carries a rising deficit rate that threatens sustainability, the Council of Ministers has adopted a Royal Decree law to temporarily suspend the preallocation of renewable compensation procedures and suppress, also on a temporary basis, economic incentives for new installations of production of electricity from renewable energy sources, waste and cogeneration.
The complex economic and financial situation encouraged the removal of incentives for the construction of these facilities, on a temporary basis, while is set in motion a reform of the electrical system to avoid the generation of tariff deficit, that is, the difference between the revenue from tolls for access to transport and electricity distribution networks and the costs of the regulated activities of the system. The measures undertaken to date have not been sufficient to correct this deficit, which constitutes a barrier to the proper development of the sector as a whole.
The objectives to be achieved by the year 2020 contained in the recently adopted renewable energy Plan provide the Government no room to manoeuvre in setting the path of implementation. This fact, together with the current installed generation capacity is sufficient, means that this measure does not affect the security of supply nor Spanish commitments to the EUin the field of renewable production in the face of 2020.
Donauer opens branch in Oman
DONAUER SOLARTECHNIK is opening a branch in Muscat, the capital of Oman. The solar company from Gilching near Munich is a partner in the joint venture with Saleh Ahmed Al Badi, who will direct the Donauer branch in Muscat. Previously, he was member of the executive board of Haya Water, one of the desert country’s largest companies.
The Government maintains its firm commitment to renewable energy as an indispensable part of the energy mix of our country. In 2011, 93 per cent of the installed power was from renewable sources and these facilities covered 33 per cent of the electricity demand, which makes Spain one of the most advanced countries in this regard.
The measure will affect those installations that still not have been registered in the register of preallocation of special regime on the date of entry into force of the Royal Decree law as well as for the ordinary regime facilities that the date of entry into force of the rule had no administrative authorization issued by the Directorate-General for energy policy and mines.
The suspension will affect technologies benefiting from the special regime, i.e., wind power, solar photovoltaic, solar thermal, cogeneration, biomass, biogas, Eolian and waste facilities for ordinary regime of assimilable technologies to those included in the special regime. The standard has no retroactive, i.e. not affect facilities already underway, already authorised premiums or installations already inscribed in the registers of preallocation.
Also, pending installations which were not listed in the pre-registration at the time of entry into force of the regulation, have the possibility to withdraw your application for registration in the register of preallocation, in which case are you returned fully deposited collateral. In addition, be returned also guarantee to those facilities registered with the prerregistros, within two months from the entry into force of the standard, opting not to carry out the execution of the installation.
Donauer will build up a sales and service network in Oman and be the first German system houses to train the local customers and employees on site in its own solar academy.
The product range of Donauer’s new branch includes mobile grid- independent solutions, which are suitable for example for rural areas and industrial or touristic use. A further focus is on turn-key solar power stations for grid feed-in with a performance of up to megawatts.
Co-partner Al Badi values the technological know-how and customer orientation of his partner: “Donauer Solartechnik can look back on years of experience and provides customer- specific, high-quality solutions at an outstanding price.”
Expansion in the Gulf region
“The solar market in Oman is very promising”, explains Andreas Fornwald, who manages the business area International Large-Scale Projects at Donauer in Gilching. “Besides the outstanding climatic conditions, the convenient infrastructure and the stable political situation, awareness of the importance of climate protection is increasing in politics and society.”
The sultanate is planning several large investments in the solar field for 2012.
For the first trading year, Fornwald expects to build solar installations with a total performance of five megawatts. The branch in Oman is only the first step on the Arabian peninsula.”Oman is eminently suitable as a base for the expansion of our activities in further markets of the Gulf area”, says Fornwald.
Issue I 2012 I
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